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Historic Vegas theatre in danger

LAS VEGAS, NV — After being placed on the State Register of Historic Places and even receiving government money for renovations, the owner of the Huntridge is looking to tear it down.

The rub is that the Huntridge is listed on both state and national registers of historic buildings. Eli Mizrachi bought the Huntridge in 2002 under a contract that required the building to be preserved until 2017. The state has paid $1.6 million in recent years to help with renovations and maintenance.

Mizrachi, reportedly eager to build a high-rise office building on the spot, is offering to give the state its money back in exchange for being allowed to tear down the building — a Las Vegas icon that was designed by S. Charles Lee, one of the 20th century’s most notable designers of motion picture theaters.

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Comments (3)

No big surprises here, considering Mizrachi was supposed to have renovated and reopened the place two years ago. I doubt the city will come through, considering how little historic preservation there is. And I’m not talking about old casinos, either. When I was there in 2006 I had a 1996 guide to historic Las Vegas; 90% of the sites had been torn down.

No such thing as historical sites in Vegas. Its actually a miracle the building hasn’t been knocked down sooner. Anything over 20 years old seems to meet the wrecking ball in that city. Its a unique situation. A city that has no history and everything is temporary. Build a multi-million dollar casino/hotel, knock it down 10 years later and build something else. Lather, Rinse, repeat.